At the Gospel Coalition blog, Chris Tomlinson has an excellent meditation on Olympic glory and the Christian's race for an imperishable wreath.Tomlinson's conclusion:
Congratulations to you, Lindsey. May you find Jesus as your imperishable wreath when the glory of your triumph begins to fade. And may we all see your inspiring example as a reflection of the higher call we have on our lives. May we run the race with single-mindedness, exercising self-control, disciplining our bodies for the sake of the gospel, and persevering through suffering, all so that we might obtain the prize we seek: eternity in the presence of the One whose glory never fades.
Read the rest of the article here. The only thing I'd add to it is to highlight the fact that while Lindsey Vonn "gave up everything" for her perishable medal, it is Jesus Christ who emptied Himself and gave up everything to purchase for us our imperishable one. Lindsey got what she worked hard for and earned. We get what we did not earn and do not deserve, because Jesus earned it in our place.
Ponder that as you watch the medal ceremonies this week; amazing! The Gospel is like watching Nancy Kerrigan get down from the podium to giver her 1994 silver medal to Tonya Harding. Only we are infinitely more undeserving than Harding!
i've yet to figure out what vonn actually gave up.
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